Chapter 46 Chapter Twenty

On the afternoon of the 20th, there was a sudden rush of traffic outside the desolate north gate of the state city, and it was bustling with people.I heard that the governor was going to open the coffin for an autopsy on the cemetery outside the north gate, and the people who watched the excitement rushed out of the north gate after lunch, crowded next to a tomb that had already been dug, and formed a large circle in an orderly manner . A simple mat shed was set up next to the tomb, and desks and stools were temporarily moved into the shed.On the two benches outside the shed was a well-painted black coffin, with a lot of mud sticking to the outside.A thick reed mat was spread on the snow in front of the coffin, and shopkeeper Guo was squatting next to a stove, vigorously fanning the fire.

Di Gong sat on an armchair behind the desk in the shed, with Qiao Tai and Ma Rong standing on both sides.Tao Gan was observing the coffin carefully. The bearer carried Chen Baozhen to the excavated tomb and stopped, pulled the car bars and opened the car curtain, and let Chen Baozhen get down.Chen Baozhen walked towards the mat shed with difficulty, leaning on a bamboo stick.When she saw the dug tomb, she couldn't help but staggered a few steps, and hurriedly covered her face with her sleeves. Di Gong slapped the dilapidated desk with his gavel, the sound was especially clear and loud in this cold wilderness.

"Shaojian's office is about to open the coffin for an examination of Lu Ming's body. At this moment, the deceased's relative, Mrs. Lu Chen, has arrived. If the coffin is opened and the autopsy finds nothing, I will be punished by the law." Chen Baozhen raised her head suddenly, with tears streaming down her face, and begged: "Master is the lord of a state, the parents of the common people. Forgive me for being foolish and ignorant, and for repeatedly offending me. Pity me for being a helpless widow. I have to protect my name." I also want to protect the reputation of Master Lan. Because of this, I have been punished with fifty lashes by the master. I think this can also be paid for the crime of the little woman. It is now over, I beg the master to give up Don't open the coffin so that my poor deceased husband's soul can be exalted. Otherwise, I will die without a place to bury me. What will I look like in Huangquan in the future to see my husband again." He bent his knees and fell to his knees In front of Di Gong, he kowtowed three more times.

She gave Di Gong one last chance to retreat. Di Gong was slightly startled, and said coldly: "This office has decided to open the coffin for an autopsy. If nothing is found, the relatives of the deceased can tell me the truth. Don't talk sweet words at this moment, and talk endlessly. I will never do it if I am not 120% sure. He would rashly order an exhumation for an autopsy." Di Gong said loudly to the yamen servant: "Open the coffin!" Two yamen servants used chisels to pry into the coffin lid, and slammed a few times with a hammer. The coffin lid creaked and all the spikes were quickly lifted.Two other yamen servants stepped forward to help put the coffin lid on the bench.The four covered their mouths and noses tightly with handkerchiefs, and reached into the coffin to remove Lu Ming's dead body and put it on the reed mat on the ground. ——Some of the spectators covered their mouths and noses and retreated, while others stretched their necks and looked forward.

Shopkeeper Guo placed two white porcelain incense burners next to the corpse, and incense was lit inside.He wrapped his face tightly with a white gauze scarf, and changed into a pair of white gauze gloves.The yamen servant handed over the hot water towel, and shopkeeper Guo gently wiped the corpse with the towel, and then began to examine it carefully.All the people around - Di Gong and Chen Baozhen who were involved, and the people watching the excitement who were not involved - were all engrossed in watching Guo's skillful movements. Shopkeeper Guo carefully looked at the back of the corpse's head for a long time, shook his head, pried open the mouth of the corpse with a silver rod, and carefully watched the white bones exposed under the rotten flesh.

Duke Di's face turned pale, and he had an ominous premonition. Finally, shopkeeper Guo stood up, washed his hands in hot water, and said, "Report to the master, there is no trace of violence on Lu Ming's body, and he did not die from poisoning, so it can be completely concluded that he died of disease." Chen Baozhen sneered a few times, and was about to mock Duke Di, when the crowd watching the excitement couldn't hold back the resentment in their hearts. "Kill this dog official! He has defiled the holy tomb." "Tear off the official robe of this dog official, and wrap up the innocent and humiliated body!"

"Release Lu Chenshi!" Amidst the uproar, Mr. Di walked steadily outside the booth with a stern expression on his face."I will keep my word," he said. He ordered four yamen servants to put Lu Ming's body back into the coffin, bury it in the tomb, and close the door of the tomb.So he got on the sedan chair and went back to the Yamen.Tao Gan left this dish to deal with the aftermath. In the middle of the night, Duke Di and his three followers didn't go to sleep, they sat around in the cold yamen and faced each other silently.The charcoal in the brazier was burned to white ash, and no one noticed.The candles on the desk were flickering, and the spacious office house was enveloped in a sad atmosphere.

Duke Di finally spoke: "If we want to rescue ourselves from the current desperate situation, we can only discover new evidence by accident, and within a day or two." Suddenly there was a knock on the door, and the yamen servant came in to report that Ye Bin and Ye Tai had knocked on the master.Di Gong was very surprised, and hurriedly ordered Ye's brothers to enter the yamen to speak. Ye Bin helped Ye Tai walk into the yamen slowly, and Di Gong offered to sit down.Ye Tai's head and hands were wrapped with bandages, his face was blue and his body was extremely weak. Ye Bin said: "Master, this afternoon, four farmers carried Ye Tai back home from outside the east gate. Three days ago, a farmer saw him lying in the snow, unconscious, with a serious injury to the back of his head, and he I carried him home and took good care of him. He only regained consciousness this morning, and was carried back to my shop in the afternoon. At least not a single life was lost.”

Di Gong couldn't wait to ask Ye Tai: "What happened?" Ye Tai was crying, and said in a weak voice: "Three afternoons ago, I was hurrying home, but someone hit the back of the head with a stick on the way, and I felt the world was spinning, I saw stars in my eyes, fell to the ground, and fell unconscious. It's a matter of personnel." "Ye Tai, it is none other than Zhu Dayuan who secretly harmed you! You were the one who confided in Yu Kang about the tryst with Ms. Liao, right?" "Where did the master say this? I didn't disclose the ambiguous matter between Yu Kang and Ms. Liao to Zhu Yuanwai, it was precisely Zhu Yuanwai who knew it first-he saw the good deeds of the two of them with his own eyes. But he But I never told anyone. One day, when I went to Zhu Yuanwai’s house, I heard Zhu Yuanwai yelling at Yu Kang in the room at the door, saying that he dared to have a tryst with Miss Liao in his room during the daytime. The housekeeper notified me of my visit, but when I walked into the room, he was very calm, and Yu Kang didn't know where he had slipped off. He was still talking and laughing, and there seemed to be nothing unpleasant."

Di Gong clapped his palms and smiled, "That's right. But you used the secrets you overheard to steal Yukang's money. Fortunately, God has punished you. You must not follow evil ways again, let alone degenerate, and you are not allowed to go there. Gambling dens and brothels!" Ye Tai nodded in frustration, Ye Bin stood up and thanked Di Gong and said goodbye.Di Gong sent the Ye brothers to the gate of the yamen.